The two boys squeezed in tight next to their father as the election results scrolled across the screen a month ago.

Alvin Brown had made it to the runoff in Jacksonville's mayoral election, and his whole family — his wife, Santhea, and sons, Joshua and Jordan — were there to celebrate.

Seeing the boys out on the campaign trail was a fairly unusual sight, particularly on a school night when they are more often at home, finishing up their homework or going to bed.

And on those nights, Santhea Brown often will be with them while her husband is out campaigning.

Family is vitally important to the candidate, several friends said, and having Santhea Brown at home helps Alvin as he fights for the mayor's office.

She also provides a sounding board, helping him refine his thoughts as he explores new ideas.

"If he needs to think things out — something he's not sure about — he'll talk to her," said Jean Aikens, who's been friends with Santhea Brown for more than a decade. "She's not there to tell him what to do, but she listens."

Such conversations have played a role in shaping her husband's views on reforming the educational system in Jacksonville, for instance, a topic that has become a larger part of his public rhetoric as the election nears.

For Brown, the topic is personal as well as political. "We have two boys in public schools. We know the challenges," he said. "We know that a lot of these kids need help."

Ron Compton, who has coached the two boys in baseball, remembers one of the first serious conversations he had with Brown concerned ways to help students at the nearby elementary school who came from single-parent homes.

"We sat and talked about how kids are the greatest blessing in the world," he said.

The family has made education a priority in the house, as well, said Santhea Brown, who volunteers in the boy's classrooms and helps with the PTA.

"The kids know their focus is school," she said. "I tell them, school is your job."

Not surprising, perhaps, coming from parents who both have masters in business administration.

The couple met at a business conference in Atlanta: Alvin was working on his MBA and Santhea was selling grocery products. He encouraged her to return to school for a master's, something she had never considered.

"He sees the potential in me," she said.

She was living in Washington at the time and the two dated long-distance for five years, until Brown moved to D.C. himself, and the two married. Alvin worked on the Clinton/Gore transition team and then in the administration.

"It was an exciting time to be in an administration," she said. "Most people don't really understand the amount of work people put in."

At the time they married, she was working for CSX as an account manager but later moved to the Department of Transportation for the last two years of the administration.

Following the change in the White House came the move to Jacksonville, a city Santhea Brown said she soon fell in love with.

"It was a refreshing change," she said. "Jacksonville is very family-oriented. There's a great quality of life here."

Part of that love for the city comes from her husband, she said, for whom Jacksonville has always been a special place. Realizing the way he feels about the city is one reason she encouraged him to pursue his dreams of becoming mayor.

"My thinking is, if you find something you're passionate about, something where you feel you can make a difference, you have to pursue it," she said. "Many people don't do what they're passionate about."

And because of that passion, she'll keep on supporting him by keeping the family humming along.

"I knew it was going to be long hours, very busy — more so for him, because he's the candidate," she said. "It's busy for me, but I know I have to be there for the kids."

@Daylight...good post! Its funny to see how Hogan can get labeled as no vision or not for education, when his background and platform are the opposite. Hogan is the only candidate with a detailed "vision" for the future of Jacksonville. Its on his web site...step by step instructions for how to FIRST fix the budget and SECOND focus on jobs and education. Its there to read and digest, which cannot be said for Alvin. His "vision" is one of platitudes and empty rhetoric without any actual details.

@EasyStreet...which tea party talking points are you referring too? Less taxes or smaller, more efficient, and less intrusive government? I went to a Hogan event this week and heard him state that Clay county gets less money per student than Duval, yet has a better rating for their schools? Taxing and throwing money at the school system has not made it better, but community adopt a school programs and voucher programs have been proven to work (both of which Hogan supports).

@daylight come- A platform is just a piece of paper with good intentions. We all want to see the schools in our community succeed and I'm sure that many citizens in Jacksonville can come up with great ideas to help. If there's not a man or woman in the elected office that can actually move their proposed agenda forward then we're all screwed. I really like Mike Hogan but I'm not sure if he can get away from the tea party talking points to actually get the job done for our city.

Murray,
Once again flawed analysis. You did make one accurate statment - there are indeed many difference between Brown and Hogan. Hogan has relevant local experience and a detailed plan for how to get our city in a better position. Brown, well, he is a good campaigner.

I must point out, however, your false statement - Mike Hogan is and will be a champion for education. Considering your post, you probably haven't done the research. So let me shine some daylight on your post:

1. Mike Hogan is committed to improving education. It is indeed part of his platform. See here: http://hoganformayor.com/the-issues.php. In fact, his plan involves community partnership, which is sorely needed to improve our schools, and not merely creating a new bureaucracy (like the chief educational officer proposal Mr. Brown stole from Audrey Moran).

2. Your very own Times-Union, which predictably endorsed your candidate for Mayor, has pointed out the priority Mr. Hogan places on education. This editorial really struck me, because it was the rare occasion of praise by the T-U for Hogan. See here: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2011-04-20/story/education-it.... Since something tells me you don't like to do your due diligence, I'll summarize the editorial. When both candidates were given $100M hypothetically, here is where each said they would allocate the money: Brown, on jobs and providing credit to small businesses; Hogan, on EDUCATION, understanding that a solid educational system is vital to the future health of Jacksonville's economy, both from a business recruitment perspective as well as from a workforce talent perspective.